Am I being scammed by my mortgage Company?

silver912e · 12-19-2005, 04:48 PM

I got a letter this evening from my mortgage company (ABN-AMRO) stating that DHL lost one of their tapes that has my personal information on it. They then offer 3 months free of some credit monitoring service that I'm sure they hope I'll forget about three months from now & continue to pay (can you say 100 free hours of AOL?)

I just find it hard to believe that they would admit to losing this information in the first place, and that they don't have some sort of kick-back going with the credit monitoring service.

I guess I'll get on the phone to these jokers tomorrow and see what I can find out.

Scam or not? You make the call.

kaisen · 12-19-2005, 04:54 PM

I've heard some news reports on this. I think it's legit.

E

addictionMS · addictionMS's Garage

doubt it, I got something similar from an old doctors office where a lap top was stolen. The theft was in the news as well.

you need to put a fraud watch on your credit, it is free.

something we will all need full time soon I fear.

Jim

turbo6bar · 12-19-2005, 04:59 PM

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=7556

"ABN Amro Mortgage Group Inc., an Ann Arbor-based subsidiary of Chicago-based LaSalle Bank Corp., admitted Friday that it had lost a computer tape nearly a month ago containing data for all 2 million of its residential-mortgage customers."

http://www.mlive.com/news/jacitpat/index.ssf?/base/news-15/113501192039050.xml&coll=3

" Though no known fraud activity has resulted since the tape was lost last month, customers were still urged to scrutinize credit reports for suspicious activity.

At no cost, ABN AMRO is offering affected customers a chance to enroll in credit monitoring service for 90 days. LaSalle Bank customers can call (877) 904-7500. ABN AMRO Mortgage Group customers can call (800) 783-8900.

Customers should report any suspected identity theft to the mortgage company, Federal Trade Commission and local authorities. "

Joeaksa · 12-19-2005, 05:11 PM

Wonderful... my morgage is with ABN AMRO as well...

Joe A

tswaney · tswaney's Garage

Me too. Got the letter today. Have been trying to log onto the credit monitoring service without luck.

RickM · RickM's Garage

In many states companies are required to notify each potential "victim" of a Personal Identifiable Information (PII) breech. I would demand that they disclose what measures they will take in the future to insure the security of your info.

BGCarrera32 · 12-19-2005, 07:39 PM

I got one of these letters from my brokerage this summer saying a backup tape was lost in a UPS terminal. They had set up a toll free number and staff to assist with credit problems and credit checks. So...I don't think you're being scammed but I'd let them know you think someone in IT who didn't encrypt the tape should have their rear end handed to them...

Steve Carlton · 12-19-2005, 07:42 PM

I just leased a new Porsche. Who cares what the payment is! Now I know what you guys are talkin about...

Neilk · 12-19-2005, 08:11 PM

Ok, great I found the ABN-AMRO tape, I'll just start stealing your identity in 91 days.

I think a 90 day credit watch is a little weak.

Steve Carlton · 12-19-2005, 08:17 PM

You better hurry. Joeaksa's Platinum card may be maxxed out by then.

competentone · 12-19-2005, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Neilk
I think a 90 day credit watch is a little weak.

I'll second that.

I'd demand at least 1 year's worth of credit watch -- unless they find their tape and assure me that no data was compromised while it was lost.

Joeaksa · 12-20-2005, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Carlton
You better hurry. Joeaksa's Platinum card may be maxxed out by then.

Just checked it via the internet and no "funny" charges on either of my Plat cards... Thanks for thinking of me though.

Just called home and the letter from ABN is there as well. 90 days of credit watch aint gonna make it for me either! We going to be talking just a bit when I get home! My FICO is good and I can take my business elsewhere if they start playing games.

Joe A

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

After one of my trips to Germany, I got a call from my bank, asking me if I had been using my credit card at various gas stations in Germany over the previous three weeks. Of course, this was AFTER I had spent three weeks there. On the same card was my ticket purchase from Lufthansa, rental car picked up at Frankfurt and plenty of other transactions that should have gotten their attention long before it did. And then I went to China, where I took about five domestic flights and was hitting ATM machines all off the beaten path. They never called me about it. Not sure a fraud alert will do much.

RickM · RickM's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
After one of my trips to Germany, I got a call from my bank, asking me if I had been using my credit card at various gas stations in Germany over the previous three weeks. Of course, this was AFTER I had spent three weeks there. On the same card was my ticket purchase from Lufthansa, rental car picked up at Frankfurt and plenty of other transactions that should have gotten their attention long before it did. And then I went to China, where I took about five domestic flights and was hitting ATM machines all off the beaten path. They never called me about it. Not sure a fraud alert will do much.

A fraud alert is handled by the credit reporting companies; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion not by the credit card companies. If someone tries to take a loan out on a car, house, line of credit or similar you will be contacted and asked to verify the transaction.

arcsine · 12-20-2005, 08:26 AM

Yup, 90 days ain't gonna cut it. But I bet the monitoring service, out of the goodness of their hearts, would extend the service for a "nominal monthly fee".

rick-l · 12-20-2005, 08:50 AM

A 90 day fraud watch is available to anyone for free from all three of the credit reporting agencies. Something called the FACT act I think.

The company I work for lost a disk with soc. sec., age, sex, bank acct #, routing info, company credit card #, address, phone # etc. They gave me a year of fraud alert which I think was pretty lame.

I closed my personal accounts anyways. You don't realize what a pain it is to close an account that has 30 to 50 (unknown or not remembered) direct deposits and debits going to it.

EdT82SC · 12-20-2005, 10:34 AM

http://www.computerworld.com/databasetopics/data/story/0,10801,107230,00.html?source=NLT_PM&nid=107230

silver912e · 12-20-2005, 11:05 AM

Hmmmm, I wonder if the thousands of pi$$ed off customers calling and screaming at them might have motivated them a little.

Anyway, thanks for the update

arcsine · 12-20-2005, 11:33 AM

I think the IT guy in the link Ed posted has it right. Why would a company move the personal information for 2 MILLION customers using any of the major carriers (UPS/FedEx/DHL) ?

I know ABN-AMRO is spending big bucks backing their two Volvo Ocean Race boats (team.abnamro.com), but maybe some of our monely could be spent safe-guarding our data better?